Method of evacuating and heatsealing packages



W G MUELLER ETAL METHOD OF EVACUATING AND HEAT-SEALING PACKAGES April 14, 1953 Flled Sept 19, 1947 April `14, 1953 w. G. MUELLER ETAL 2,634,562

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' METHOD oF EVACUATING A ND HEAT-SEALING PACKAGES Filed sept. 19, 1947 12 sheets-sheet 4 fc., l

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METHOD OF EVACUATING AND HEAT-SEALING PACKAGES Filed Sept. 19, 1947 12 Sheets-Sheet 7 April 14, 1953 METHOD OF EVACUATING AND HEAT-SEALING PACKAGES Filed Sept. 19, 1947 12 Sheets-Sheet 8 7/ZzaeZZef' APlll 14 1953 w. G. MUELLER Erm. 2,634,562

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'-phere without the use of a nozzle. Idure is simple, quick and results in an air or gas Patented Apr. 14, 1953 METHOD OF EVACUATING AND HEAT- SEALING PACKAGES William George Mueller, Frederic Harold Chercpow, and August Bartes, Jr., Neenah, and Karl Klause, Appleton, Wis., assignors to Marathon Corporation, Rothschild, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application September 19, 1947, Serial No. 775,076

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved method of evacuating air or gases from a commodity lled package.

It is well known that many foods are deleteriously affected by the presence of air causing the formation of mold or other undesirable microorganisms. Heretofore, commodity filled flexible containers have been air` evacuated in vacuum chambers which required sealing the evacuated container while in the vacuum chamber. This procedure has not been commercially suitable because the operation is very slow and cumbersome. The vacuum chamber must be opened, the package placed therein, the vacuum applied, the package sealed and nally the vacuum chamber opened again to aord access to the sealed package. Furthermore, the sealing mechanism must be operated from the exterior of the vacuum chamber, thereby requiring gas-tight gasketing of the sealing members in the walls of the vacuum' chamber.

The ideal method of vacuum packaging is one where the vacuum chamber is eliminated and the container evacuated in the atmosphere utilizing the container itself as the vacuum chamber. Prior art attempts to accomplish this have necessitated the use of nozzles or tubes connected to a vacuum source and disposed in the container opening or mouth, tightly clamping the iiexible packaging material about the nozzle, applying the vacuum through the nozzle and sealing the container below the area of clamping. Such procedures have resulted in an undesirable :stretching and distortion of the packaging material in the area where it is clamped about the nozzle. By our method and means a flexible 'commodity filled container is evacuated of the undesirable gases or air and sealed in the atmos- The proce- `evacuated sealed package of superior quality.

The primary object of the invention is to profcuce a package which may be quickly and easily fabricated and which will constitute a hermetically scaled, commodity lled, flexible container from which undesirable air or gases have been removed s that the commodity is effectively preserved.

Another object of the invention is to evacuate the air or gases from a commodity-filled exible container and seal the container in the atmosphere without the use of a nozzle or tube which tends to distort the packaging material.

Other objects and advantages will more fully appear from the description and drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view of one type of machine construction showing the clamping jaws and sealing bars retracted;

Figure 2 is a front vertical section of the m'achine taken along line 2 2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a vertical side section taken along the line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a front vertical section illustrating the packaging material clamped between the jaws and the vacuum being applied only to the the ear portions but prior to the evacuation of the package;

Figure 5 is a front view partly in section showing the sealing bars applied to areas of the packaging material to seal the gas or air evacuated package;

Figure 6 is a plan view of one clamping surface taken along the line 6 6 of Figure 4 with the packaging material indicated in phantom lines;

Figure 7 is a plan view of a clamping surface taken along the line 'll-1 of Figure 4 which cooperates with the clamping surface shown in Figure 6, the packaging material also being indicated in phantom lines; f

Figure 8 is a side View of the sealing and evacuating head;

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view of the vacuum system when the clamping jaws are retracted and no vacuum is being applied;

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view of the vacuum system illustrated in Figure 9 when the jaws are in clamping position and the vacuum is being applied to and within the package;

Figure 11 is a perspective View of a package construction which may conveniently be evacuated and sealed by means of our invention;

Figure ll-A is a plan view in reduced scale of the blank constituting the packaging material;

Figure l2 is a perspective view of the evacuated and heat-sealed package;

Figure 13 illustrates the package partly in section to show how a channel is formed in the eared porticn of the package when the vacuum is being applied by the means of our invention;

Figure 14 is a vertical section taken along the line lQ-I of Figure 1, illustrating the sealing means retracted and in Contact with a heater block;

Figure l5 illustrates the heated sealing means in downward position and acting upon the packaging material to form a seal;

Figure 16 is a section taken along vthe line lB-l' of Figure 14 illustrating in detail the manner in which the sealing means is mounted;

Figure 17 is a front view of a modified form of our invention wherein a reciprocating sealing head is used in lieu of the pivoted type;

Figure 18 is an enlarged front view of the heated sealing head used in the mechanism shown in Figure 17;

Figure 19 is a vertical section taken along the line ifi-I3 of Figure 18;

Figure 20 is a diagrammatic View of a modified form of vacuum system wherein two vacuum tanks are utilized, this view illustrating the'system when the jaws are retracted and no `vacuum is being applied;

YFigure 21 is a diagrammatic view of the modified vacuum system illustrated in Figure 20 when the jaws are in clamping p-osition and the vacuum is being applied to the packaging material and within the package; and

Figure 22 illustrates another form of the invention when an ordinary lled flexible bag is being evacuated of its gases or air.

The apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 21 is vparticularly adapted for operation upon a package of the type shown in Figures 11, 12 and 13, the subject-matter of the Frank A. Palmer Patent No. 2,274,344, February 24, 1942. However, our invention may be used for evacuating and sealing other types .of packages, such, for example, as disclosed in Gardner Patent No. 2,382,987, August 21, 1945.

Referring to Figures 11 and 12, apackage A comprising a commodity I (see Figures 4 and 5), which may be cheese or other foodstuff, is enveloped in a blank I6 of packaging material. The packaging material is preferably an inherently thermoplastic moistureproof sheet, such as rubber hydrochloride or a flexible base sheet of regenerated cellulose, paper, glassine, etc. coated on the surface, which will be adjacent the commodity, with a suitable thermoplastic composition. If the base sheet does not possess adequate gas Vor air impermeability properties, such properties may be supplied by the proper selection of the thermoplastic coating composition. The flexible packaging material may also be constituted of suitable laminates of non-thermoplastic and thermoplastic sheets or non-thermoplastic sheets bonded tofrether with a surface of the laminate coated with a suitable heat-aetivatible coating composition. The blank I 6, preferably has its corners diagonally cut at I'I as shown in Figure ll-A. The commodity is enveloped 'in the blank I6 and has its side margins on each end of the package folded and heat-sealed in face-.toface relationship resulting in the forma-tion of a fin I8 and an eared portion I9 on each side 20 of the package. The fins I8 and the eared portions I9 are folded into contact with their respective side walls 23. The blank I6 is folded at the upper marginal areas 2| so that they are in face-to-face relationship and heat-sealed across the entire top surface 22 of the Package. This folding and kseaming operation results in the formation of eared portions 23 at each end and extending beyond the main body portion of the package. At the extreme edge of each eared portion 23, there is an opening 24 as shown in Figures 11 and 12 which leads into the interior of the package. But for these openings 24, the package is completely sealed. This stage of the packaging operating is illustrated in Figure 11. The n resulting from the sealing of the margins 2| is then folded down in contact with -the top surface .22 of the package as shownv in Figy.

ure 12. Vacuum is then applied to openings 24 to remove air from the package and then the areas 25 adjacent the main body of the package are heat-sealed.

Referring to Figures 1 to 10, wherein like numerals refer to like elements, one form of the apparatus for evacuating the gases or air from within a package of the type hereinbefore described comprises spaced horizontal supporting plates ,30 and 3I suitably secured to spaced supporting rods 32 to form a unitary frame structure. Fastened to the supporting plate 30 are a pair of Vspaced blocks 33. The blocks 33 are spaced apart a distance to accommodate the package A. The distance between them may be made adjustable by any sui-table means to accommodate packages of various sizes. Secured to the inner face of each block 33 is a metal sealing plate 34. If desired the plate 34 may be made integralwith its block 33. The top surface of each sealing block 33 has adhered thereto a clamping member 35 of resilient material such as rubber. It will be no-ted that each clamping member 35 abuts the upper portion of the sealing plate 34 so that the upper horizontal edge of the sealing plates are exposed and ush with the top surface of the resilient clamping members.

A pair of movable jaws 36 are provided Ito cooperate for clamping engagement with the resilient material covered faces of each of the spaced blocks 33. The jaws 35 are similarly covered with clamping members 37 of resilient material such as rubber. When the jaws 33 are in engagement with their blocks 33 the upper edges of the plates 34 are exposed. The jaws 36 each have a lateral extension 38. The extension 38 is provided with a vertically disposed opening therein which receives a rod 33 secured to the plate 30. The rod 39 is encircled with a helical compression spring 30. The springs i3 have their lower ends abutting the plate 33 and the under surface'of their respective extensions 38. The springs serve to maintain the jaws 36 in their uppermost or inoperative positions.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7 the clamping member 35 of the block 33 has formed therein a groove 4I in the base of which are openings 42 and 43. The clamping member 37 of the cooperating jaw 33 has a groove 44 in the base of which is an opening 45.

When the jaw 33 and the block 33 are in clamping engagement, the grooves 4I and 46 coincide to form a passageway for shaping a channel portion 46 in the ears of the package as shown in Figure 13. The groove 4I extends longitudinally from the edge of the block 33 which is adapted to contact the package to a point inward of the other parallel side of the block 33. The grooves 4I and 44 also extend beyond the free end of 'the ears of the package. It will be noted that there is a large and substantial clamping surface area extending laterally on both sides of the grooves 4I and 44 so as to assure compete gas-tigh-t sealing action to be later explained. When the jaws 33 are in clamping engagement with blocks 33 the grooves 4I and 44 in each pair of resilient clampingmembers 35 and 3l are aligned in mating relation to form passageways which function in a manner to be described later.

A pair of heat-sealing bars i1 having narrowed portions 43 of substantially the same width as the thickness of the plates 34 are adapted to cooperate with the upper horizontal edges of the sealing plates 34. The sealing bars 4l are heated by conduction and ,are retractable in unison to contact a heater block 49. The thickened portions of sealing bars 41 are for the purpose of presenting a greater absorbing area to the heater block 49. The heater block 49 has disposed therein heater elements 49 which may be electrical resistances connected to a suitable source of current. The heater block 49 is xedly mounted on a supporting stand 68 and suitably insulated therefrom by a layer of insulating material 91.

A vacuum tank 50, which is connected to a cylinder 5| of an evacuating pump, is suspended from the frame plate 3|. The openings 42, 43 and 45 in their respective grooves in the clamping members 35 and 31 of blocks 33 and jaws 36 are connected to the vacuum tank by means of primary pipe lines 52 and 53 and secondary lines 54 and 55. The vacuum system will subsequently be described in detail.

Mounted in the frame of the machine are spaced bearings 66 in which is journalled a shaft 6|, one end of which is secured to a handle 59 to permit the shaft to be rotated. Fixed to the shaft 6| for rotation therewith are a pair of spaced jaw actuating cams 62, a sealing cam 63 and a vacuum cam 64.

The jaw actuating cams 62 are adapted to cooperate with jaw cam followers 65 rotatably mounted at the lower ends of jaw slide bars 66. The jaw bars 66 are secured at their other extremities to their respective jaws 36 and will reciprocate through openings provided in the plate 30.

The sealing cam 63 is mounted for cooperation with a sealing cam follower 61 which is part of a linkage connected to the sealing bars 41 to be subsequently described in detail. A stand support 68 is fixed to the frame plate 30 with spaced bearings 69 welded to its vertical face. A shaft 10 is journalled in the bearings 69. A pair of spaced lever arms 1| are rotatably mounted on shaft 10 by means of collar portions 12 which preferably are integral With the lever arms. The collars 12 are rotatable on the shaft 19. The other end of each lever arm 1| has mounted thereon a sealing bar 41. Preferably, the sealing bars 41 are resiliently mounted on their respective lever arms by spring mounted pins 13. In this manner each sealing bar is permitted a slight amount of lateral play with respect to its supporting lever arm.

As shown in detail in Figures 14, l5 and 16, a torsion spring |1| encircles a sleeve of a spring retaining collar |12 intermediate said collar and the collar 12 of the lever arm 1|. The collar |12 is xed to the shaft 10 for rotation therewith by a set screw |12. One end of the spring |1| is secured to the collar |12 at |13 and the other end to the lever arm at |14. This construction is duplicated for the other lever arm 1|. The lever arm collars 12 are each cut away or recessed at |15 to receive a pin |16, which is xed to the shaft 10. The pins |16 serve to limit the amount which the lever arm collars 12, and hence each lever arm 1|, may rotate about the shaft 10.

A sealing bar tie rod 14 is secured to one end of a lever 18 by a pin 19. The other end of the lever 18 has a collar portion 18 encircling the shaft 19 and xed thereto by a pin |11 so that movement of the lever 18 will rotate the shaft. The lever 18 is thus xedly mounted on the shaft 10 intermediate the pair of lever arm collars 12. As shown in Figure 3, the lower end of the tie rod 14, which passes through an opening in the plate 30, is pivoted on a pin 14' to one end of a lever arm 15 fulcrumed in a pivot bracket 16 which is fastened to the frame plate 3|. The lever arm 15 is slotted at 15' to receive the cam follower 61 mounted for rotation ona pin |80. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a tension spring |82 has one end thereof connected to an extension |8| of the pin 14 and the other end anchored to a bolt |83 extending through the frame plate 30. The tension spring |82, through the tie rod 14, serves to urge the sealing bars 41 rearward into inoperative position where the sealing bars are maintained in engagement with the heater block 49.

, Downward motion imparted to the lever arm 15 by the action of the cam 63 upon the cam follower 61 will cause the tie rod 14 to move downward against the force exerted by the tension spring |82 and rotate the shaft 19 through the lever 18. Upon turning the handle 59 clockwise, the shaft 10 through the linkage described is rotated causing the spring retaining collars |12 to rotate therewith. Since the torsion springs |1| are fixed to the collars |12 and the lever arms 1|, the sealing bars 41 resiliently carried by the latter, are caused to be articulated downwardly, independently of each other. The narrowed portions 48 of the sealing bars 41, in conjunction with the sealing plates 34, heat and press the packaging material at the desired zones. When the heat sealing bars 41 are fully down, the pins |15 do not exert any pressure on their respective lever arms 1| so that the torsion springs |1| can each exert its full force in applying further sealing pressure to the sealing bars. On further rotation of the handle 59, the pin |16 contacts its lever arm and in conjunction with the action of the spring |82, which maintains the cam follower 61 against the cam 63, the sealing bars are returned to their upward inoperative position in contact with the heater block 49. Furthermore, the limiting pins |16, the recesses |15 and the torsion springs |1| are so designed and arranged that the sealing bars 41 would normally overtravel were it not for the intervening plates 34. Thus, the sealing of both eared portions of the package is carried out simultaneously but by the application of independent, resilient sealing pressures.

The vacuum cam 64 controls the vacuum system. Cam 64 is mounted to bear against a regulating plunger 86 of a valve mechanism B, Figures 9 and 10. The valve mechanism B comprises a stationary block 8| having an inlet port 82 and an outlet port 83. The inlet port 82 is connected to the vacuum tank 58 by 'a line 84. The outlet port 83 is connected to thelines 52 and 53 by the line 85. A third port 86 is provided for release purposes and to bleed olf the residue of air or gas in the vacuum system. The stationary block 8| possesses extensions 81 and 88 having openings therein to journal the slidable regulating plunger 89. A movable block 89 is disposed on the stationary block 8| between the extensions 81 and 88 and is in tight sliding engagement with the stationary block 3|. The block 89 has an extension 90 through which the plunger 88 passes. The extension 90 is fixed to the plunger 80 by means of suitable collars 9|. A helical spring 92 is disposed about the plunger with one end bearing against the extension 88 of the stationary block 8| and the other against a collar 9| which xedly fastens the movable block 89 to the plunger 80. A channel 93 is formed on the side of the slidable block 89 adjacent the stationary block 8 The channel 93 is designed so that it will cover but two ports; that is, eitherY inlet and outlet ports 82 and 83 or outlet port 83 and the release port 86.

A single Vcycle operation of the above described apparatus occurs as follows: vThe package A is positioned between the blocks 33 with the eared portions 23 resting upon the upper resilient clamping members 35.` The arrangement of the mechanism at this stage is illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 9. The handle 59 is grasped and turned, whereupon the shaft 6| is rotated. Rotation of the shaft 6| will cause the jaw actuating cams 62 to depress their respective cam followers 65 resulting in the jaws 36, through the slidable jaw bars 66, to come down and rmly clamp the earedportions 23 of the package A, as shown in Figure 4. Clamping members and 31 clamp the eared portions in an air and gas-tight seal. As the shaft 6| is further rotated the vacuum cam 64, which hitherto had displaced the plungerin the position shown in Figure 9, permits the spring mounted plunger 60 to assume the position shown in FigurelO. :This movement causes the channel 93 of kthevslidin'g'block 89 to straddle the ports 82 and 83. The result is to connect the vacuum source to the channels 46 formed by the grooves 4| :and 44 in .each pair of clamping surfaces.

As indicated in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10, the openings 42 and 45 are so located Vthat portions of the plies of packaging materialin the eared portion 23 arepulled out of their flat position into the adjacent ,grooves 4| and 44 and retained therein by the acting vacuum so that a channel 4B is formed in the eared portions of the packaging material conforming to the passageway formed by the coincident grooves 4| and 44. This is shown in Figure 13. The grooves 4I and 44 are dimensioned so that the eared portion 23 covers the openings V42 and 45 but does not cover the opening 43. The result is that air or gas within the package is evacuated through the channel formed in the packaging material by the suction operating through the opening 43. This is accomplished while the plies of the eared portion 23 are under a gas-tight seal resulting from the tight clamping action of the jaw 36 with respect to its clamping block 33.

After a suitably timed interval, depending upon the amount of pressure reduction being used in the vacuum system, the further rotation of the shaft 6| .causes .the sealing cam 63 to depress the cam follower 61 which through its associated linkage results in .the heat-sealing bars 41 being articulated downwardly. This action serves to heat-seal the heat-activatible material constituting the plies of the packaging material in the areas between the sealing plate 34 Yand the narrowed portion 48 of the sealing bar 41.

Preferably the sealing cam 63 'andthe vacuum cam 64 Aare cut or formed so that the sealing bars are retracted before the vacuum is cut 01T. The differential between the vacuum pressure and the atmospheric pressure will'serve to set and cool the heat and pressure-sealed areas of the package. When the vacuum is cut off, the residue in the system is bled olf through vthe release port 86, the plunger 80 having been moved by the cam 64 to the position shown in Figure 9. Finally, the jaws 36, dueto the continued rotation of the jaw cams 62, are retracted permitting the removal of the air or gas evacuated heat-sealed package.

The operation outlined above is accomplished by one completeirevolution of the shaft 6| dueto the manner in which the jaw, `sealing and vacuum cams and their respective linkages are designed. summarizing, fthe preferred sequence of operations is as follows: 'The ears of the package are Yclamped between the jaws; the vacuum isapplied to open a channel in each ear and Asimultaneously the vacuum is applied to evacuate air or gases from within the package; the package is heatsealed; the heat-sealing means are removed while the vacuum is still on; the vacuum is cut oif; the gas residue in the system is bled oif; the clamping jaws are opened and the gas or air evacuated heat-sealed package removed from the machine.

By means of the apparatus described, a hermetically sealed package containing, for example, cheese `is formed which is evacuated of the normally entrapped air. The elimination of air in the 4package serves to preserve the cheese since air promotes the growth of mold and other micro-organisms. Furthermore, the removal of air or gases Within the container is greatly facilitated bythe method or means of our invention.

It is evident that instead of evacuating a'package through both eared portions as described, the package may be sealed throughout but for the opening in the extremity of one eared portion. It is then only necessary to use one pair of clamping surfaces, one of the two sealing bars and, of course, eliminate the vacuum lines leading to the unused pair of clamping surfaces.

Figures 17, 18 and 19 illustrate another embodiment of our invention wherein a reciprocating type of heat sealing Lhead is used in lieu of the pivoted or articulated sealing bars as hereinbefore described. The clamping mechanism and the vacuum system as well as their actuating mechanisms are substantially unchanged so that like numerals indicate identical elements heretofore described.

The apparatus comprises spaced beams 200 upon which are supported vertically disposed frame members 20| each having formed at its upper end a hollow collar 202. Each collar 202 receives a guide rod 203 which is fixed at one end within the hollow collar 202 by the bolts 204. The guide rods 263 are maintained in Xed spaced relationship by a cross bar 205 bolted to them at 206. The frame members 20| are each provided With a shoulder 291 to which a horizontally rzisposed frame plate 30 is secured by the bolts Upon the plate 30 are fastened the spaced blocks 33- for cooperation with the clamping jaws 36 having the construction heretofore described. Instead of fixing the rods 39 to the plate 30 as heretofore described, the rods 39 may be of shorter length and secured to the extensions 38 with the encircling springs 40 serving to maintain the jaws 38 in their uppermost or inoperative position, as shown. The clamping surfaces 35 and 31 are the same ,as described and conrslected to the previously described vacuum sys- The shaft 6|, journaled in bearings 2| 0 provided in the frame members 20|, is connected at one end 6| to a suitable source of power (not shown). The shaft 6| may be rotated automatically a't any desired speed and in timed relation to the positioning of individual packages between the blocks 33 by an automatic conveying means. The shaft 6| has mounted thereon the jaw actuating cams 62 and vacuum cam 64 for the purposes heretofore described.

Areciprocating head H is provided to perform the heat sealing function. By this construction the area between the blocks 33 is unobstructed to thereby allow aV conveyor to carry the packages; into vandy outI of operating Yposition automatically.4

To operate the reciprocating heat sealing head I-I in proper timed relation with respect to the clamping and evacuating operations, eccentrics 2| I are mounted on the shaft 6 I, one on each side of the machine. The eccentrics 2 are fixed to the shaft 6| by collars 2|2. The eccentrics 2||, provided with inner threaded members 2|3, are connected to sleeves 2|4 slidable on the guide rods 203, by connecting rods 2|5 which are threaded at each end. The sleeves 2|4 are provided with members 2|6 which are threaded on their inner surfaces. By adjusting the threaded connecting rods 2|5 within the threaded members 2|3 and 2 I6 and locking them into xed position by nuts 2|?, the position of the stroke may be ladjusted as desired. The sleeves 2|4 have formed thereon shoulders 2 I8 which have fastened thereto a sealing head supporting plate 2 I3 by bolts 220. The sealing head I-I is secured to the lower side of the plate 2|@ by bolts 22|.

The sealing head H comprises a metal block 230 formed with spaced recesses 23| opening on the bottom of the block. The bottom surface of the block 230 has fastened thereto a plate 232 by screws 233. The plate 232 is dimensioned so that marginal portions thereof 234 extend over and cover a part of the opening provided by each recess 23|. The uncovered portions of the recesses 23| are designated 235. Sealing bars 23B having portions of reduced thickness 237 are disposed within the recesses 23| with the portions 231 extending through the openings 235. The Working face o1" the sealing bars may be channeled as at 237. The portions 231 are of lesser width than the openings 235 through which they extend. Shoulders 238, resulting from the described conguration of the sealing bars 235, are adapted to rest upon the marginal portions 234 of the plate 232. The main body or thickened portions of each sealing bar 233 possesses a thickness slightly less than the width of the recess 23| in which it is disposed. The rear face of each sealing bar 23S has seated thereon the ends of a pair of springs 239. A nut 240 is threaded within the upper end of each recess 23| to close it oii` and serve as means for suitably adjusting the pressure upon the springs 239 and its sealing bar 235. Horizontally disposed pins 24| are fixed in the block 230 and extend across the recesses 23| for cooperation with a vertical slot 242 in each sealing bar 235. This slot and pin arrangement permits suitable radial and vertical compensation or adjustment o'f the sealing bars and also serves to limit the upward movement of the sealing bars. Heater units 243 and a heat control unit 244 are set in the block 230 and act to heat the working faces 231 of the sealing bars 236 by conduction. The block 230 is recessed adjacent the plate 2 I9 at 245 to minimize the loss of heat to the plate.

The described construction of the reciprocating heat sealing head H is such that when the head comes down, at a predetermined time in the cycle of operation, the working faces 231 of the sealing bars 233 apply heat and pressure to the packaging material supported at the areas 34. Due to the manner in which the sealing bars 230 are mounted within the recesses 23| and the pin and slot arrangement 24|, 242, the sealing bars will automatically adjust themselves vertically and radially at the point of pressure application. Furthermore, the manner in which the spring mounted sealing bars 236 are mounted in thev block 230 results in resilient pressure being applied independently of each other at the zones where the package is to be sealed.

The apparatus described thus far has included a single vacuum source for both separating the plies of packaging material and evacuating the interior of the package. It is within the purview of the invention to utilize separate vacuum sources to perform the two operations in the apparatus heretofore described. As shown in- Figures 20 and 2l, a higher vacuum is used to hold open the plies of packaging material in the eared regions than the vacuum which actually removes the air or gases from the package. Satisfactory results have been obtained with a live (5) inch (Hg) differential between the two systems. For example, on a series of 30 packages the average evacuating period when 25-inch (Hg) vacuum was maintained on the high vacuum tank and 20-inch (Hg) vacuum was maintained in the low vacuum tank, was less than one second per package.

The vacuum circuit to hold the ears of the packages open comprises a vacuum pump 30| connected to a high vacuum tank 362. The tank 302 is connected to the openings 42 and 45 in their respective grooves 4| and 44 located in the clamping members 35 and 31 of blocks 33 and jaws 36 respectively, through the pipe lines 303 and a regulating valve V.

The vacuum circuit which is designed to remove the air from within the package comprises a vacuum pump 304 connected to a vacuum tank 305. The tank 305 is connected to the openings 43 in the clamping members 35 of the blocks 33, through lines 305 and the regulating valve V.

The vacuum cam 64 which controls both vacuum circuits is mountedon the shaft 0| for rotation in proper sequence with the sealing cam and jaw activating cams. The regulating valve mechanism V is constructed to control both vacuum circuits and is actuated by a regulating plunger 3|0 bearing at all times against the cam 64. A stationary block 3|| is provided with an inlet port 3 |2 and an outlet port 3|3, which with a channel 3|4 in a movable block 3|5, serves to connect the vacuum tank 302 with the openings 42 and 45 through the pipe lines 303. The inlet port 3|2 is connected to the tank 302 by Va pipe line 3|2. The block 3|5 Vis mounted for airtight sliding engagement on the stationary block 3| |.y

A release port 3|6 serves to break the vacuum, holding the plies in the eared portions at openings 42 and 45, after the package has been evacuated and sealed. A duplicate set of ports 3 Il, 3|0 and 3|3 is provided which serves, in conjunction with a channel 320 formed in the sliding block 3 i5, to control the direction of air flow in the low Vacuum circuit from the tank 305 to the openings 43 in the blocks 33 through pipe lines 305. The inletl port 3| is connected to the tank 305 by a pipe line 3H.

Fitted on or formed integrally with the stationary block 3|| are extensions 32| and 322 having openings therein to journal the sliding regulating plunger 3|0; An extension 323 on the sliding block 3|5 has an opening therein through which passes the regulator plunger 3|0. v The plunger 3|0 is xed to the sliding block by means of collars 324. A helical spring 325 is disposed about the plunger 3 0 with one end of said spring bearing against the extension 322 and the other end against a collar 324. The helical spring 325 serves to keep the plunger 3| bearing continuously against the cam 64. The channel 3 E4 is so 7 designed that it will cover but two 4ports at vone time; that is, either inletport 3 I 2 andA outlet port 3I3, when package evacuation is taking place, or outlet port 3|3 and release port 3I6 after evacuation and sealing have taken place. Like- Wise, the channel 320 is constructed so that it covers only two ports at one time; that is, either inlet port 3|I and outlet port 3|8 when evacuating the package, or outlet port 3|8 and release port 3I9 when the evacuation and sealing operations have been completedl The length of the channel 3|4 is made slightly longer than the channel 320 in order that the vacuum circuit used to hold the ears of the package open is completed before the vacuum circuit for evacuating the interior of the package.

Figure 20 illustrates the positions of the ports of the valve when the jaws are in retracted position and no vacuum is being applied to either separate the plies of packaging material or to evacuate the package. Figure 21 illustrates the vacuum system when the jaws 3S are in clamping engagement and at that time in the cycle of operations when a vacuum is being applied to the packaging material to separate the plies and a vacuum is being applied to withdraw the air or gases from Within the package,

Figure 22 illustrates another embodimentl of the'invention based upon the same principle of forming a channel in the packaging material by applying a vacuum to a clamped area of the packaging material to form a channel and applying a vacuum through the formed channel to eliminate air or gas in the package. A bag comprising heat-activatible material is lled with a food commodity to form the package C. For continuous operation the packages C are placed upon a suitable conveyor which may be of the belt drive type. The lled bags are moved so that the mouths thereof pass between a pair of clamping jaws |0| and |02 each having a resilient clamping member |03 and |04, respectively. As hereinbefore described, grooves are formed in the resilient clamping members which coincide to form a channel |05 when the jaws |0I and |02 are in clamping engagement. Openings |06 and |01 are connected to a suitable vacuum source and serve to separate into channel form the plies of the packaging material in the mouth area of the bag. Clamping jaw |0| has another opening |08 connnected to the same or another vacuum source. The opening |08 leads into the channel |05 formed by the grooves in the cushioning clamping surfaces |03 and |04. The openingk |08, however, is located beyond the extreme edge of the packaging material whan the packaging material is clamped between the jaws |0| and |02. Thus the vacuum applied through the openings |06 and |01 separate and form a channel in the packaging material coincident with the channel |05 which is completely surrounded by a gas-tight seal formed by clamping the packaging material between the covered, groove containing jaws |0| and |02. The vacuum opening |08 leads into the package and thus removes the air or gas which is present.

Below the clamping jaws I0| and |02 are a pai-r Y of sealing bars |09 and ||0, at least one of which is heated. After a suitable time interval of vacuum application, the sealing bars |08 and ||0 are moved together to press and heat-seal the packaging material to thereby provide a completely sealed air or gas evacuated package.

It is understood either a single or dual type ofr vacuum system may be utilized with the apparatus and modifications thereof herein disclosed.

The present inventionV may be embodied other specific forms without departing from thei essential attributes thereof; It isv desired that theY present specific embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the aforegoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

We claim: Y

1. The method of packaging commodities in flexible, heat-activatible packaging material comprising forming a commodity filled package completely sealed except for a folded, unsealed eared portion having superposed plies of the packaging material the extremity of whichprovides an opening leading into the interior of said package, clamping said eared portion. except at a selected area leading into said package to form a gas-tight. seal about said selected area, applying a vacuum to the outer surfaces of the eared portion at said selected area to separate the plies thereof to forma channel leading into the package, applying a vacuum to the interior of said package; through said channel to withdraw the gases therefrom and heat-sealing the gas evacuated package adjacent the area of clamping to completely seal the package. Y

2. The method of packaging commodities ink iiexible, heat-activatible packaging material comprising forming a commodity iilled package completely sealed except for a pair of folded, unsealed eared portions having superposed plies of packaging material the extremities of which provide openings leading into the interior of said package, clamping each of said eared portions except at a selected area leading into said package to form a gas-tight seal about said selected area, applying a vacuum to the outer surfaces of each eared portion at said selected area to separate the plies thereof to form channels leading into the package, applying a vacuum to the interior of said package through said channels to withdraw the gases therefrom and heat-sealing the gas evacuated package adjacent the areas of clamping to completely seal the package.

3. The method of packaging commodities in exible, heat-activatible packaging material comprising forming a commodity iilledpackage completely sealed except for a folded unsealed eared portion having superposed plies oi packaging material, the extremity of which provides an opening leading into the interior of said package, clamping said eared portion except at a selected area leading into the package to form a gas-tight seal about said selected area, applying a vacuum to the outside surfaces oi? said eared portion at said selected area to separate the plies thereof to form a channel leading into said package, simultaneously applying a vacuum to the interior oi. said package through said channel to withdraw gases, heat-sealing the gas evacuated package laterally across the eared Yportion adjacent the area of clamping to completely seal the package.

4. The method of Vpackaging commodities in flexible, 4heat-activatible packaging material comprising forming a commodity lled package completely sealed except for a folded, unsealed eared portion having superposed plies of the packagingY material the edges of which are diagonally cut to provide an opening in the extremity of said eared portion leading into the interior of said package, clamping said eared portion except at a selected area leading into said package to form a gastight seal about said selected area, applying a vacuum to they outer surfaces of the eared portion at said selected area to separate the plies thereof to form a channel leading into the package, applying a vacuum to the interior of said package through said channel to Withdraw the gases therefrom and heat-sealing the gas evacuated package adjacent the area of clamping to completely seal the package.

5. The method of packaging commodities in flexible, heat-activatible packaging material comprising forming a commodity lled package completely sealed except for a folded, unsealed eared portion having superposed plies of the packaging material the edges of which are diagonally cut to provide an opening in the extremity of said eared portion leading into the interior of said package, clamping said eared portion except at a selected area leading into said package to form a gas-tight seal about said selected area, applying a vacuum to the outer surfaces of the eared portion at said selected area to separate the plies thereof to form a channel leading into the package, applying a vacuum to the interior of said package through said channel to withdraw the gases therefrom and heatsealing the gas evacuated package laterally across the eared portion adjacent the area of clamping to completely seal the package.

6. The method of packaging commodities in flexible, heat-activatible packaging material comprising forming a commodity filled package completely sealed except for a pair of folded, unsealed eared portions having superposed plies of packaging material the edges of which are diagonally cut to provide openings at the extremities of said eared portions leading into the eared portions except at a selected area leading into said package to form a gastight seal about said selected area, applying a relatively high vacuum to the outer surfaces of each eared portion at said selected area to {separate the plies thereof to form a channel leading into the package, applying a vacuum lower than said rst named vacuum to the interior of said package through said channels to withdraw the gases therefrom and heat-sealing the gas evacuated package laterally across the eared portions adjacent the areas of clamping to completely seal the package.

WILLIAM GEORGE MUELLER.

FREDERIC HAROLD CHEREPOW.

AUGUST BARTES, JR.

KARL KLAUSE.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,789,281 Becker et al. Jan. 13, 1931 1,961,126 Becker June 5, 1934 1,970,193 Riebel, Jr. Aug, 14, 1934 2,051,483 Jones Aug. 18, 1936 2,160,367 Maxfield May 30, 1939 2,214,997 Guyer Sept. 17, 1940 2,292,295 Royal Aug. 4, 1942 2,356,472 Rothaug Aug. 22, 1944 2,382,987 Gardner Aug. 21, 1945 2,387,812 Sonneborn et al. Oct. 30, 1945 2,410,834 Messmer Nov. 12, 1946 2,468,517 Salfsberg Apr. 26, 1949 

